K-Days offering up deep-fried, creepy-crawly foods

Photos; K-Days food 2014

Sun reporter Dave Lazzrino eats a Pocupine Corn Dog during the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. The Porcupine is a corn dog covered with french fries. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Sun reporter Dave Lazzrino eats a Maple Bacon Mini Donut during the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Bill Sumner holds the trophy for his Angry Birds Candy Apple at the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Sun reporter Dave Lazzrino eyes a Scorpion and Cricket Pizza during the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Sun reporter Dave Lazzrino prepares to eats a Angry Bird Candy Apple during the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Sun reporter Dave Lazzrino judges a Bacon wrap roasted corn during the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Jim Swain from Swains Pizza presents a Scorpion and Cricket pizza during the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Sun reporter Dave Lazzrino eats a Pulled Pork and Mashed Potato sundae during the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Sun reporter Dave Lazzrino prepare to eat a Pulled Pork and Mashed Potato Sundae during the New Food Judging competition on opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Sun reporter Dave Lazzarino poses with a giant stuffed bear during opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Perry Mah/QMI Agency

Martin Cowan cooks up some Turkey Legs and Corn on the Cob during opening day of KDays fairgrounds at Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta on July 18, 2014. Perry Mah/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

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Few things can marry a healthy dose of outdoor fun with an unhealthy dose of deep-fried, bacon-wrapped food quite like Edmonton's K-Days.

"Anything deep-fried is good. If you add bacon, it's great," said Gerald Stephens, Edmonton residents visiting the K-Days midway with his wife Susie. "I'm in the right spot."

The pair come every year and said this year's lineup of delicacies is better than ever. He said he was interested in the deep-fried foods, including cheesecake, Snickers and Twinkies.

Visitors will likely look for some of the standard favourites like pizza, corn dogs and, of course, mini doughnuts. This year there are a few bites to tempt the more adventurous palate as well.

For starters, there's scorpion pizza. While most restaurants try and keep the creepy-crawlies from getting on the food, this dish necessitates it. And it isn't as disgusting as it seems. In fact, it's like a regular pizza with a little extra crunch.

Stephens said he'd try it but doubted if his wife was game.

"It's high-protein," he said with a laugh.

The pizza can also come with meal worms for those looking for a bigger bug fix.

Not all delicacies are meant to challenge the gag reflex. Some just challenge the imagination.

Returning from last year is the deep-fried butter balls but this year they bring with them their cholesterol-laden cousins deep-fried cheesecake, deep-fried chocolate bars and deep-fried cookie dough. Even the mini doughnuts have been revamped with a new maple bacon option offering a salty, sweet, heart-stopping treat.

Some items offer more of a full-sized meal. The chicken po' boy sandwich begins with a piece of chicken breast. As expected, it is then breaded and deep-fried and slapped into a bun and covered with cole slaw.

The winner of this year's food judging managed to sneak some healthy elements into the competition. The Angry Birds candy apple is a fresh take on the caramel-dipped classic. For the health-averse, no need to worry. It is dressed in icing to look like one of the distraught video game characters, making the apple take a back seat to the sugary coating.

K-Days offering up deep-fried, creepy-crawly foods

Few things can marry a healthy dose of outdoor fun with an unhealthy dose of deep-fried, bacon-wrapped food quite like Edmonton's K-Days.

"Anything deep-fried is good. If you add bacon, it's great," said Gerald Stephens, Edmonton residents visiting the K-Days midway with his wife Susie. "I'm in the right spot."

The pair come every year and said this year's lineup of delicacies is better than ever. He said he was interested in the deep-fried foods, including cheesecake, Snickers and Twinkies.

Visitors will likely look for some of the standard favourites like pizza, corn dogs and, of course, mini doughnuts. This year there are a few bites to tempt the more adventurous palate as well.

For starters, there's scorpion pizza. While most restaurants try and keep the creepy-crawlies from getting on the food, this dish necessitates it. And it isn't as disgusting as it seems. In fact, it's like a regular pizza with a little extra crunch.